


As Love Begins to Mend

by Lohrendrell



Category: Naruto
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Bath Sex, Established Relationship, M/M, Making Love, Melancholy, Romance, Slice of Life
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-09-10
Updated: 2016-09-10
Packaged: 2018-08-14 05:00:15
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,967
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7999492
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Lohrendrell/pseuds/Lohrendrell
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Sometimes Itachi just needs to be held.</p>
            </blockquote>





	As Love Begins to Mend

**Author's Note:**

> I'll be uploading here a couple of fics that were only on y!Gallery. I recently remembered this NaruIta. Writing it felt so satisfying <3
> 
> [Song](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XwXXIUZZd28) that inspired this. (English [live](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tuUFt6IsLzg) version.) Highly recommend listening while reading (or even without reading because Joanna Wang is AMAZING).
> 
> Written in... 2014, probably. Please excuse the 'engrish' and bad writing. Not revised.

Some days, Itachi wants to think he doesn't fit for his job. Not because he doesn't feel anything at all, as those who don't really know him would say, but because he feels too much.

The father shakes his hand and thanks him for saving his younger son. The mother nods in agreement, but she can't stop crying – understandably, she still lost her other two children after all. A thought crosses Itachi's head, about how ironic it is that the children were properly in their safety seats, but because the drunk driver crashed from behind, the parents were the ones who got away with only a few scratches.

But he doesn't say what he's thinking. Instead, he shakes the father's hand back, gives him his card and says, “Feel free to call me anytime.” He doesn't specialize in children, but he knows some excellent doctors who might help a family in need. The father nods and takes the card like it's his last chance of hope. The mother starts sobbing loudly again, so Itachi checks the four years old boy's vitals one more time and quickly leaves the room.

It's five in the morning on a Thursday, his twelve hours shift is finally over. “I'm gonna take the extra day off the hospital owes me,” he announces in the nurses desk before he leaves.

“I'll warn Tsunade,” Ino answers him. “I'm sure Shizune will cover for you.” She smiles. Usually Itachi would be polite enough to smile back, but today it just doesn't come, so he only nods in thanks.

His coworkers give him particularly warm goodbyes today, Konan even gives him a hug. He's sure she'll call him first thing next morning, because of all the doctors he's ever met, she's the one who can relate the most with feeling shitty for not being able to save a life. When she and Itachi were taking residency together, years ago, her boyfriend was admitted in the ER after an ugly motorcycle accident.

Yahiko had died in the middle of their shift, and Itachi remembers vividly sneaking Konan out of the hospital that afternoon, then spending the weekend helping to organize the funeral while she sobbed helplessly in his bed.

Years later, he had tried to start a romance with her, but it didn't work out. Still, he considers her one of his closest friends.

He accepts her hug and doesn't refuse when she adamantly says, “You're in no conditions to drive. I'm calling a cab.”

As he waits for the cab, his thoughts revert back to how he should have assumed the family business, like his little brother did. Maybe there's still a chance. He could quit medicine and become a heartless CEO. It would be easy.

Or maybe he could not work at all. He's got enough money to last a lifetime, and he knows how to invest. He could grab Naruto and travel around the world, forget about little bleeding and lifeless children. Itachi shrugs at this thought. Ten years as the head surgeon of Konoha's Hospital and he still can't deal with this side of his job.

Or maybe he could become a painter. Yeah, he likes painting, Naruto could teach him the basics. He wouldn't use red, though. Ever.

Itachi doesn't have to tell his address to the taxi driver because he recognizes him right away. For a moment, his paranoia kicks in, but then the driver introduces himself as one of Naruto's many friends. Itachi sighs, thinking about how one of these days Naruto's high sociability will get him kidnapped.

Still, he can't help smiling at the thought of his blond waiting for him at home. Most often than not, Naruto is the light that makes Itachi see there's still good in the world, giving him strength to go on.

The trip is quick. Itachi gives the driver more than he needs and lets him keep the change.

When the elevator opens at the top floor, Naruto is leaning on the open door of their apartment, waiting for him, a warm smile in his lips and a glass of white wine in his hand.

Itachi accepts the kiss Naruto gives him and drinks the wine in two gulps. “Thank you, I needed this.”

“Rough shift?” Naruto embraces Itachi's waist, and he lingers in Naruto's comforting arms for a while, feeling safe and worth. Feeling loved.

“Yeah.”

Naruto kisses his neck gently, although nowhere near chastely, and whispers in Itachi's ear, “Come bathe with me.”

Remembering it's already morning despite still being dark outside, Itachi tries to ask if Naruto won't have any appointments today, but as if reading his mind, Naruto shuts him with a breathtaking kiss and Itachi has no other option than to let himself melt into his lover's arms.

Suddenly feeling selfish and possessive, Itachi stops caring about Naruto's appointments. He's a children psychologist, one of the best in town, and Itachi really doesn't want to think about children right now.

He deepens the kiss even more and presses their bodies together. Naruto is a few inches taller than him, more muscular, and Itachi loves it. It gives him the confidence necessary to give his all in their relationship. It doesn't make him scared of breaking and falling in his own darkness, because he knows Naruto is strong enough to carry both of them in times of need and push Itachi back into the light, even if obnoxiously or forceful.

Because Itachi has this inside of him, this melancholy that sometimes takes over and makes him feel extremely fragile. Vulnerable. And sometimes, only sometimes, Itachi feels the need to be held.

And that's what Naruto does. He picks Itachi up, guiding them to the bathroom, and Itachi's legs encircle Naruto's waist, enticing moans from both of them as their erection brush under their clothes.

As the bathtub fills up, Naruto takes his time to appreciate Itachi's body while undressing him. He kisses and licks the pale skin, descending from neck to shoulder and down, all the while murmuring, “You're so beautiful, Tachi. And tastes so good. I love you so much.” He pauses to lavish the pink nipples with attention, and Itachi has to lean his back on the wall, the mix of the cold tile and Naruto's warm mouth causing him to moan loudly.

When Naruto presses Itachi's hips tightly against the wall and gives his erection a long, slow lick throughout from base to tip, Itachi feels his balls tightening instantly and has to grab Naruto's blond locks in order to not lose control. Naruto swallows his cock as if it was the last time he would be able to do so, humming satisfied, and Itachi's legs tremble, he has to focus to keep himself steady and standing.

But it's Naruto's bright, blue eyes staring at him, filled with lust, understanding and love, that make Itachi effectively lose control, and he finds himself not even able to utter a sound as he comes embarrassingly fast in Naruto's mouth.

Naruto doesn't seem disappointed – on contrary, he swallows Itachi's juices and licks his shaft as he comes down from the high, until he whimpers in discomfort, Then, Naruto picks him up again and lowers him in the bathtub, now filled with water.

Feeling much more relaxed now, Itachi lets out a groan of pleasure when the warm water touches his skin. A few seconds later, the scent of spearmint fills the air as Naruto finishes a bottle of bubble bath before leaving the bathroom, saying he'll be right back. There are candles on the shelves displayed in the bathroom; Itachi thinks about getting up and lighting them, but the morning sunlight is already faintly illuminating the apartment so, sighing, he leaves the candles untouched and lays down in the warm porcelain, only leaving his head above the water.

Soon, he can hear soft melodies coming from the living room, and it doesn't take too much for him to recognize the collection of mellow jazz and bossa nova Naruto and him selected a few years ago. Itachi is particularly fond of this collection. It is usually played in their most intimate moments together.

A few minutes later has Naruto bringing a freshly opened bottle of an expensive sweet red wine. It was a present from Naruto's parents last Christmas.

“You're opening this now?” Itachi asks, although the bottle is already opened and Naruto is already filling two glasses with the beverage. He only asked because he knows Naruto likes to wait for what he calls “the right occasion” to open every bottle he calls “special” (which are just the ones they win from their parents or Sasuke, but Itachi never spoiled the fun).

“Yeah.” Naruto shrugs, giving Itachi his glass.

“Why?”

“Because I love you. Cheers.” Naruto beams at him, lightly bumping their glasses and taking a long gulp. Itachi follows suit.

Naruto sits at the edge of the tub and they kiss for a while, lost in the taste of wine and the soothing music from the living room. Quickly, their kisses heat up and only stop for a moment, when Itachi lifts Naruto's t-shirt over his head, a silent invitation to enter in the tub with him, which Naruto eagerly complies.

The tub is large enough for both of them – it was a demand of Naruto when they moved in, one of his best in Itachi's opinion. Naruto undresses completely and sits behind Itachi, hugging him. Itachi leans back on the broad chest, letting himself be pampered as Naruto washes his body thoroughly.

Naruto undoes Itachi's braid, softly running his fingers through dark locks as he does so and breathing in Itachi's nape. “You smell so good,” he says, and soon starts to massage Itachi's scalp, spreading mint-scented shampoo through his hair. “You are so good, Tachi.”

Itachi closes his eyes again, relishing in the feeling of being at the receiving end of so much affection. He doesn't know how Naruto knew, how he always seems to know, but Itachi needed this.

As Naruto washes away the dirt and sweat from a long and almost unbearable work night, it's like he's also washing the bad memories – no, not the memories. Itachi will never be able to forget the sound of the machines going off in the operation room, signaling the end of the life of a ten years old girl. He will never be able to forget the look on the parents face as he gave them the news. Or the way the four years old boy lay in the hospital bed in a drug-induced sleep, unaware that from this day on he won't be the youngest son anymore, but an only child.

He doesn't want to forget. Not really. He did everything he could, and he knows he is a good doctor. But in the end, he doesn't get a say when it comes to who gets to live and who dies. If only.

“You want to go to bed?” Naruto whispers in his temple, running his hands up and down Itachi's arms, and as Itachi wakes from the reverie he feels much more light-weighted, in a better mood, and he smiles as he turns to Naruto.

“Not yet,” he whispers back, and hugs Naruto's neck, pulling him down to a deep kiss while straddling his thighs, satisfied when Naruto's response is a soft sigh.

Taking advantage of their positions, Itachi moves above Naruto's lap, purposefully rubbing their awakening erections together. Then, he grabs the both of them and starts stroking lightly, enjoying the low howls he obtains in exchange.

“Tachi,” Naruto rustles, breathless. The dark shade of blue of his eyes and the reddening of his cheeks giving away how close he is, so Itachi stops his ministrations to adjust himself better above Naruto. “Tachi,” he says again, in a half moan, as Itachi slowly lowers himself in Naruto's length, enveloping him in a tight, familiar warmth.

Naruto has to grab Itachi's hips again to prevent him from moving. He curses, and Itachi chuckles at the expression of concentration his lover makes when he's trying so hard not to come so quickly.

“Can I move?” Itachi asks after a few moments, and only moves again when Naruto nods, letting go of his hips to caress his abdomen.

Itachi starts simple and slow, moving up and down, enjoying the sensation of Naruto inside him. When Naruto's cock brush at his prostate just so, he can't help but moan loudly.

“Fuck,” Naruto grunts as Itachi quickens the pace. He tries to grab Itachi's hips again, but Itachi takes his hands and clasp them at the edge of the tub, silently demanding that they stay there.

Itachi starts swaying his hips then, enticing the most delicious reactions from Naruto, who at this point is ineloquently cursing and whimpering as he desperately bucks his hips up to meet Itachi halfway down. Itachi arches his back as he strokes himself, knowing how much it turns Naruto on to see Itachi touching himself, masturbating only for him.

His expression is so needy, it takes only a few minutes to hear Naruto screaming his pleasure as he shoots his load inside Itachi, who follows suit after only a few more strokes, unable to hold down his own voice as his balls tighten so fucking much and he comes so hard on top of Naruto, his juices hidden under the spearmint-scented foam.

Panting, Itachi lets himself fall on Naruto's chest, the water, now cold, splashing around them, and stays like this as Naruto goes limp inside him.

“You are such a good lay,” Naruto says after a while, after they've both come down from the high and are just caressing each other softly. “No, seriously. You have such a great ass, holy fuck.”

Itachi chuckles and moves up so he can press their lips together. “Thank you, Naruto.”

“I should be thanking you.” Naruto laughs, but he understands what Itachi is talking about, because the next moment his expression sobers. “Are you okay?” he asks, softly brushing Itachi's cheek.

Itachi sighs. “I'll be.”

“I wish I could help.”

“You already do. So much.” Itachi smiles at him, but it falters as his thoughts go back to the family. To only imagine how it would be like to lose Sasuke. Itachi doesn't think he would be able to endure such tragedy. “I need to ask you a favor.”

“Anything.”

“In the next few days I'm gonna send you a patient. A four years old boy. I don't want you to charge the family, I'll pay for the appointments myself.”

Understanding crosses Naruto's face in a heartbeat, and he hugs Itachi tightly, burying his face on the pale shoulder. “It wasn't your fault,” Naruto says. “You did your best, I know you did. You are a good doctor, Tachi. Don't you dare think otherwise.”

“I know,” Itachi says, stroking Naruto's hair. Naruto has already freed him from the darkness engulfing his mind, so he knows these things already. Still, it is nice to hear someone else say it. “Thank you.” He waits until the grip on his middle eases a little before asking, “Do you want to go to bed? I'm cold.”

“Yeah.”

Itachi washes the residues of come and soap from both of them with the shower head, then pulls the knob so the tub will drain properly before moving to the bedroom with Naruto.

“I asked the hospital for that day off they owed me,” Itachi announces as he blow dries his hair. He hates going to bed with his hair wet. “I'll be back there only on Monday.”

“Cool.” Naruto chooses a pair of white pajama bottoms and flops in bed lazily.

Itachi arches an eyebrow at that. “Don't you have any appointments today?”

“I'd rather stay with you.” Naruto sends him a foxy grin, but pouts when Itachi frowns at his seemingly irresponsibility. “No. Hinata had to visit the doctor to see the baby. They'll finally find out if it will be a boy or a girl. You know I can't function without her in the office.”

“Sasuke wants a boy. Hinata wants a girl.”

Naruto snorts, lifting the comforter to cover Itachi as he lays down beside him. “It's a girl.”

“How would you know?”

“Mom.”

Itachi rolls his eyes. “How would she know?”

“Don't underestimate the amazing Uzumaki ability to guess these things. She did say Karin would have triplets when she was only three months pregnant, remember?”

Itachi trembles a little, not only because of the combination of triplets and Uzumaki is frightening, but because the thought of three siblings still reminds him of unpleasant things.

“What do we think we should give Hinata and Sasuke's girl?”

Itachi snorts and turns to his side so he can bury his face on Naruto's chest. “I don't know. Ask me again after I've slept.”

“Hey, a little bit of consideration would be fine. You do know we'll be godparents in less than four months, don't you?”

“A pony.”

“What?”

“Isn't that what girls like?”

“I don't think that's the case with a newborn, Itachi.”

Itachi shrugs. “Still, it would be interesting to see Sasuke going mad as he's obligated to take care of a pony by himself.”

Naruto laughs loudly and Itachi chuckles. Torture Sasuke into madness has always been one of their favorite hobbies.

“You want me to have ordered Chinese for when you've woken up?”

“Sounds good.”

“Okay.” Naruto kisses Itachi's temple and lazily embraces him under the covers after adjusting them to his liking. Itachi snuggles closer into Naruto's warmth, his last thoughts before falling asleep being of how lucky he is to have Naruto in his life, someone who he loves and cherish more than himself; someone to mend his wounds when he needs it the most.


End file.
